5 Completely Lame Garden Products

As we have previously written, new and innovative gardening products flood the market every year. But not all of these products are worth your hard-earned dollars. We’ve identified five completely lame garden products based on reviews from existing customers. Do you have lame garden products to add to this list? Leave a comment!

The concept seems great. A set of spokes you strap to your footwear that will aerate your lawn as you walk. You can even multitask by wearing these while mowing the lawn. Some might even use these in garden beds to loosen up soil prior to planting. The foot plates contain 26 steel spikes measuring 1 ¾ inch each. They are one-size-fits-all adults and cost just under $20. So what’s the problem?

Out of the nearly 70 customer reviews on Amazon.com, this product only received a 3-star average out of 5. Customers liked the concept and, if the product were engineered correctly, it may have been a hit. As is, this particular product has trouble staying attached to shoes. Complaints included weak buckles, useless straps, and broken plastic support. For many, this product was useless after a few tries. So while the idea is promising, execution will need to improve.

Another interesting product is this bright-colored watering spout that attaches to regular water bottles. Instead of using a wide-brimmed watering can, this targeted spout features a curved, ergonomic handle and extended watering spout for precise watering. The concept is that you can keep a small enough water bottle next to each houseplant to avoid having to lug around a larger watering can.

The design is patented and made of recycled plastic, but this is not enough to satisfy customers, who rated it ⅗ stars. Customers didn’t see much of a difference between attaching the spout to a bottle and just using a regular watering can. Further, several bottle types do not fit the spout, including one-gallon milk jugs. If the entire idea is to transform used bottles into watering cans, customers will want much more flexibility for an $11 spout.

Every gardener wants an easier way to weed. Face it: weeding can be strenuous, tedious, and simply not fun. Weeders are one of the most sought-after products on the market. The Unbreakable Corona Trowel has been tried by many, but liked by few.

Its ergonomic grip handle is enticing, as is the cast-aluminum serrated blade used for cutting up roots. This hand-held tool is supposed to ease your weeding burden, but consumers overwhelming complain about the tool’s durability. Several customers had the unbreakable tool break in their hand while gently using it–one as soon as 20 minutes into the job. Even more upset are the customers who gave this tool a second try and broke the second tool as well.

Corona even left itself a one-star review, asking unhappy customers to contact their Customer Service team for a free, and upgraded model, replacement unit.

You may have seen it advertised on TV: no digging, weeding, cages, containers, or stakes needed for this tomato planter. In fact, you simply plant, hang, and watch your tomatoes grow. Since tomatoes grow vertically, this seems like a logical concept for only $7.50.

The popularity of this project is clear; almost 500 buyers left reviews on Amazon.com alone. However, those reviews only averaged 3-stars, which is okay, but not a garden-changer. A whopping 141 of those reviewers only gave this product 1-star. What went wrong?

Customers complained that product maintenance is too laborious: the outer plastic wears away in the sun and tomato plants quickly become dehydrated. Further, the durability of this unit is weak, lasting only a few months for some. One customer was particularly upset when his grandmother’s tomato plant from Italy never flourished in the unit.

Can it be this easy? An already assembled veggie bed containing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and lettuce? For $15, you will get veggies in a box. The buyer only has to roll out over existing soil and water. The manufacturer claims the mat contains vegetable seeds that encourage quick germination. You can even cut this garden and roll out in multiple areas around your lawn. Veggies in a few weeks, no planting or fertilizing necessary?

Customers were overwhelmingly disappointed with the end result; this unit averages only 1.5 stars out of 5. Some customers got one or seed to sprout, but most got none. The “mat” is more like paper, says one reviewer, that has seeds in between. This product appears to produce widespread disappointment, so stay away.

As avid gardeners already know, there is no easy or magic work-around for old-fashioned tilling, planting, and weeding veggie crops.

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Comments

Tryed the topsy turvey was a compleat fail I tried 5 of them got root rot some didn’t grow others grew but never bloomed then only use one season went to try again the bag was dry rotted save your money a old pillow case works the same but it’s still better to plant in ground or bucket